INTRODUCTION

On behalf of the Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, please accept my personal invitation to participate in the 16th running of the Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race. 2007 will mark the 30th Anniversary of the Race and we plan to celebrate accordingly. It has been a wonderful 30 years, starting from a race that began with two old sailing buddies talking about racing from Marion to Bermuda and inviting their friends, to each boat being tracked through satellite navigation for all the world to follow. It has always been a cruising boat race and remains so today.

The value of this race really lies in our mission to maintain its roots in cruising and to stay abreast of the changes in our sport. In 1977 it was a celestially navigated race only because that was the way it was done. The race added electronic navigation in 1997. The average size of a cruising boat in 1977 was 38 feet. In the 2005 race, the average boat was 45 feet with a number of boats over 70 feet. Boats are easier to handle today due to the advancement of technology to handle running rigging and electronics that not only tell you where you are, but where you are going, how long it will take you to get there, and what's the best route. Plus, the improvement in sailcloth has been so impressive with a selection of new materials to numerous to mention. All of these changes have made sailing more fun and also safer for competent sailors to venture offshore.

So what can you expect in 2007? You can count on the same well developed organization that has been the hallmark of our race since its inception. You will see a broader spectrum of cruising boats with the advancement of lighter, stronger materials. Again you will see Multihulls which were added in 2005 with great success. And, an even better iBoat Track to track and report on every boat in the race in real time. We are very aware of the ever changing nature of the sport. To that end, we will be adding an IRC class to our traditional ORR handicapping system. Finally, we have made significant upgrades to our registration system that will make it easier than ever to sign up.

The experience is fantastic; the beat out of the Bay, the storms and the calms, the Gulf Stream guessing game and the smell of bougainvillea as you approach Bermuda and the finish line at St. David's Light. The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, with its new expanded docks, is even more accommodating and their Dark & Stormy's are just as good as ever.

Please accept my personal invitation to join us in 2007 and participate in our special celebration surrounding 30 years of racing to Bermuda. Looking forward to seeing you on the starting line on June 15, 2007 for monohulls or June 16, 2007 for multihulls. Be sure to sign up for race updates while you are on the web site to receive the latest information on the race.

Graham Quinn
Executive Director
Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Association